My name is Caroline and I am a rising junior at Duke studying Political Science and English. This summer, I am interning at Sanctuary for Families as part of the Duke Engage in New York program. For most of the past three months, our start date has felt far in the future – 2 months after spring break, 4 weeks past my last exam, well into the summer. Now less than a week from that day and the start of the 2023 Moxie Project, every thought and worry and hope has taken center stage in my mind.

Of the words that come to mind to describe how I feel about the summer – nervous, excited, challenged, humble – one that sticks out is apprehensive. Over the past three months, I have been thinking a lot about what this summer will look like, and far more often in terms of what we are going to do and who with than where or when. While I’m thrilled about spending the summer in New York – a city that I have wanted to live in for as long as I can remember – I find myself more preoccupied with what the days will look like at my internship than what shape my morning commute will take. I am excited to start work and contribute to things like the Zero Tolerance benefit, but underneath that excitement is a sense of heaviness when I think about the issues that bring us there.

Much of our group’s preparation for the summer has been centered around the idea that our time in New York will be uncomfortable and challenging. We have been invited to do hard things, and that includes the conversations we have, the projects we work on, and the realities that confront us both during and after the program. I would be lying if I wasn’t a bit scared by the heaviness of things we might encounter, but I know that our group of 7 is wholly dedicated to the work we have ahead of us, and I hope that our hearts and minds will be challenged and opened in ways we are unable to predict.

I am excited to be spending the summer with this incredible group, and I am hopeful that the experiences we have and the work we do will fulfill the mission of Duke Engage. All the apprehension, excitement, and worry that we feel right now is fuel for these next 8 weeks, and I am glad to be a part of it.